Srivachana Bhushana #8

[Guest guest]

Srimathe Ramanujaya Nama:

lOkAchArya gurave krishna pAdasya soonavE

samsAra bhOgi sandaShta jeeva jeevAtavE nama:

 

Sutra 22. It was only for her [Draupadi¹s] sake that Krishna

acted as a negotiator, drove the chariot for Arjuna and gave

instruction on Prapatti (taking refuge).

 

Sutra 23. There are no conditions of place, time, method,

aptitude or any consideration of consequences in the act of

taking refuge (Prapatti).

 

Sutra 24. The only consideration is that of the ultimate

object.

 

The Lord Himself is the only Being in which to take refuge.

He is the means as well as the end to be obtained. Worldly

people take refuge in all manner of insubstantial and

equally impermanent things like, spouse, children, careers,

social status, property, assets, goals, ideology etc. But

the only Being which is permanent, stable and substantial

is the Lord Himself. Therefore, in the act of taking refuge

one need not consider the time, place or circumstances or

even care about the consequences such as liberation.

 

Sutra 25. For the performance of [Vedic] rituals one has to

take into consideration the place which must be auspicious,

an [auspicious] time like spring, various other conditions

prescribed in the different Scriptures.

 

Sutra 26. [For taking refuge] there is no limitation of time

and place as it was said:- "This is the place", "This is the

time."

 

The quotation is from the Ramayana with reference to Vibhishana¹s

taking refuge in Rama. The purport is that the place and time for

taking refuge is appropriate whenever and wherever one is

inspired to do so.

 

Adiyen

Srirama Ramanuja Acharya

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Adiyen Dasanudasan,

Jai Srimannarayana!

This is next edition of my humble offering. If there are any

learned Ramanuja Dasas who wish to offer an alternative

interpretation of any of the sutras, please enlighten us all

so that together may we improve on our understanding, knowledge

and kainkaryam.

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